Saints owner Tom Benson, General Manager Mickey Loomis and Coach Sean Payton also were in attendance.

They were part of the 100 or so friends, family, colleagues and former teammates who packed into Mr. John's Steak House on St. Charles Avenue on Monday night for a private surprise party in honor of Steve Gleason, who has been stricken with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease.

Restaurateurs and artists mingled with politicians, athletes and MBA students for more than three hours. They came from far and wide and laughed and cried in support of Gleason and his wife, Michel.

The evening was highlighted by a series of presentations and an emotional six-minute speech by Gleason, who played eight seasons for the Saints before retiring in 2008.

An inspirational video compilation of Gleason's on-field exploits and off-field activities kicked off the festivities.

Landrieu bestowed upon Gleason a proclamation on behalf of the citizens of New Orleans and a key to the city, calling it "a small token of our appreciation for you and your family."

"It's just amazing to me that you have continued to teach us and show us, with great dignity and strength, what it really means to live a full life," Landrieu said. "It is a great lesson, and you keep giving it to us."

Saints super fan and longtime buddy Leroy "Whistle Monster" Mitchell unveiled an original mural of Steve and Michel by New Orleans artist Frenchy, who painted the canvas in two days while on vacation in Colorado last week.

The Saints then surprised Gleason with a ring from their Super Bowl XLIV championship. Payton presented the 14-karat ring encrusted with 60 diamonds to Gleason, one day after calling him "an inspiration to us all."

The star power and breadth of talent in the crowd was a testament to Gleason and the impact he's had on so many lives.

Several former teammates came to lend their support, including Scott Fujita, who squeezed in the visit between the Browns' 17-16 win against the Dolphins on Sunday in Cleveland and preparation for their upcoming game against the Tennessee Titans. Several Saints coaches and front-office executives also were in attendance.

"I love the guy," said Fujita, who, along with Michel, organized the event. "I'd follow him anywhere."

Nate Lawrie, a former Saints tight end, traveled from Hawaii to pay tribute. Some came from California, others from Tennessee. One buddy flew in from Gleason's hometown of Spokane, Wash.

The wait staff at Mr. John's wore black No. 4 Saints T-shirts, a tangible symbol of the hope and optimism displayed by Team Gleason, his foundation for ALS research. Three people have been known to have survived ALS.

"At the beginning of the game, I never knew if we were going to win or lose, but I was always for certain that I was going to walk out of there with my head held high because I got ready, I had the right people around me and I was going to give it everything I had," Gleason said as Michel held the microphone to his face. "It's the same now. We're going to give it everything we've got. I have a calming sense of certainty that we're going to win this thing."

There wasn't a dry eye in the house after he finished.

The party capped an emotional weekend for Gleason. He delivered an impassioned speech to the Saints at the team hotel Saturday, publicly announced his affliction for the first time Sunday, then served as honorary captain for the Saints in their exhilarating 40-33 victory against the Houston Texans that afternoon.

"The last few days have been pretty overwhelming, in a great way," said Gleason, who was presented with a game ball by the Saints on Sunday. "We can talk about the blocked punt (against the Atlanta Falcons to reopen the Superdome in 2006, post-Hurricane Katrina), and we can talk about rings.

"But what's more important to me, is what we do when we walk out of this room. Because ALS has (messed) with the wrong dude."

The evening of celebration behind him, Gleason planned to launch full-bore into his mission at Team Gleason. The response to his story has been overwhelming. He and fellow team members will begin sifting through the deluge of emails, text messages and tweets this week.

During an interview this spring, Gleason said that despite the many accomplishments in his career, one of the first questions people regularly ask when they discover he played for the Saints is, "Did you get a ring?"

"Always," Gleason said. "It was kind of annoying."

Gleason won't be annoyed anymore. He proudly displayed the 14-karat gold ring on his hand as he left the party Monday night.

As his family loaded his bounty of gifts and awards into the trunk of their car, someone asked Gleason what he thought of the night, the outpouring of love and support.

"It was like lightning," Gleason said. "How do you handle lightning?"

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Jeff Duncan can be reached at jduncan@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3404.